Apple Replacing Defective Time Capsule Units

Apple has begun repairing or replacing some Time Capsule units that shut down unexpectedly or fail to turn on. The Units manufactured between February and June 2008 are potentially eligible for the program.

“Some Time Capsules sold between approximately February 2008 and June 2008 may not power on or may shut down unexpectedly after starting up. Some Time Capsules with serial numbers in the following range may be affected: XX807XXXXXX - XX814XXXXXX,” Apple states in a Knowledge Base article. “If your Time Capsule falls within serial number range above and it does not power on or shuts down unexpectedly after starting up, it may be eligible for repair or replacement.”

Customers that are experiencing power issues can set up a Genius Bar appointment at their local Apple Store, contact an Apple Authorized Service Provider, or call the Apple Contact Center for help with their Time Capsule.

Apple is also working with customers that paid for Time Capsule repairs or replacement. More information is available at the Apple Support Web site.

My Time Capsule 1GB original model (serial number XX809XXXXXX) failed at the end of June after 2 years and 3 months of use. I called AppleCare (it was covered with my MacBook Pro purchased at the same time). They replaced it free of charge.

Is this the main problem the Time Capsule has been suffering from? I want to buy one but have been hesitant, but if apple is fixing these things, that also means they must have solved the problem. Any comments on the wisdom of buying one?

Save yourself a couple bucks and just by the Airport Extreme and an external USB disk. It is just as zero-config as the time capsule, but doesn’t keep the hard drive inside the Airport. Those things get hot enough to cook an egg, so it’s no surprise to me that hard drives that are kept at over 100? F for several years nonstop are failing

Also if for any reason you want to copy files quicker, or if your drive becomes corrupted, you can just plug it into any machine and fix it up. With a lower price and more features, I feel it is a win-win. As long as you can afford the extra square foot of space for a hard drive next to your router.

My Time Capsule died last week and I was getting ready to take it to the Apple Store yesterday (2010.07.12) when I read this article. The tech I talked to at the Genius Bar had not heard of the replacement program and had to check with his sources. He wanted to charge me $227 plus tax for a replacement. While I was calling my wife to get me the name and location of the above article, he found the proof from home base and is going to replace my dead Time Capsule for free. He expects to have the replacement in three or four days so I’m still not backing up. This was at the Apple Store in the North Star Mall in San Antonio, TX.